THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
Herbert Armstrong's Empire Exposed
by
John Tuit
(1981)
THE AMBASSADOR REPORT!!!
IN SEPTEMBER, OR PERHAPS EARLY OCTOBER, 1977, THE AMBASSADOR
REPORT bombshell hit. It was a ninety-two-page magazine, slick
and professionally produced. A new name was listed among the
publishers, that of Robert Gerringer, a former Ambassador student
and former employee of the Church. The front cover carried a
photograph of Bobby Fischer and the legend "Bobby Fischer Speaks
Out! - Exclusive Interview - His 15 Years in Armstrongism." Below
that a photograph of Garner Ted Armstrong with the legend "In Bed
With Garner Ted, America's Playboy Preacher." This publication
cost more than $10,000 to produce and was financed by some of the
publishers, who actually took out second mortgages on their homes
to raise the cash.
My first knowledge of the new Ambassador Report was as a
result of an announcement at Sabbath Services. Richard Frankel
announced, "Brethren, Satan is again trying to destroy God's
Church through the Ambassador Report, a vicious publication put
out by dissident former members of the Church. It contains
nothing but vicious attacks on God's Work. Many people are
receiving this poison unsolicited in their mailbox. Don't even
look at it. To do so will poison your mind. If you receive a
copy, turn it in to one of the elders immediately without even
looking at it. Mr.Rader has said that the material was scurrilous
and much the same as reported in other places in other times and
with no foundation in fact. Brethren, we have, been advised by
headquarters that our legal department is going to sue these
people who have sought to destroy the Church. They won't get away
with it. If anyone wants to show you a copy of this poison, have
nothing to do with them, and I want to know the name of any
person who may be spreading such vicious slander about."
(Oh indeed, the WCG was going to SUE Ambassador Report a NUMBER
of times over the next years, especially over HWA having an
incestuous relationship with one of his daughters way back when,
that came to light [and for those who still say it was all
slander and lies; I personally heard GTA say he confronted his
dad on the matter and HWA addmitted it was so, saying, "I was not
always close to God"]. What was always the reply from Ambassador
Report to the WCG stating they were going to sue them, it was
"Come on do so, will be happy to see you in court." The WCG NEVER
did sue Ambassador Report!! - Keith Hunt)
At the next Sabbath there were many members turning in their
Ambassador Reports. They were assuring the elders that they did
not look at it. It's amazing how people will resort to blind
obedience out of a distorted fear of God that is just driven into
them by an autocratic ruler. This was nothing more than a modern
day book-burning. These were the same people who had followed
Herbert Armstrong's advice when they first heard him say on the
radio, "Don't believe me, check it up in your Bible." Once they
were in the Church, however, they were in effect told to check
their brain at the door. The instructions from here on in were,
believe what you were told, don't check it up. To do so would be
to lean to your own understanding. So out of fear and blind
obedience, members would not even listen to a charge or
accusation against their leadership. Even worse, no one wanted to
be reported to the minister.
The Ambassador Report was apparently having quite an impact
on the Church and resulted in numerous newspaper articles
throughout the country. Although I did not receive a copy in the
mail, I was able to obtain one from one of the few thinking
members of the Church, Elder Walter Scull.
This report was well researched and comprehensive. Again
there was a review of some of the doctrinal aberrations, such as
the failure of the Church to have to flee for safety in ,1972;
the Church's position of total reliance on God without medical
help for healing; and the teaching against the use of make-up. It
appears that Armstrong, like the pharisees of old, spent more
time and effort on fabricating self-righteous doctrines to keep
the people in his control, than he did on just preaching the
truth about the Scriptures.
In the article called, "Computer Snooper," the fact that the
Church used the computer system to monitor tithing records was
well documented. The editors quoted from a ministerial letter
dated January 28, 1969, "Also, we are beginning to look into the
tithing situation. Up until we had our computer, it was very slow
and difficult to check the tithing record of brethren. We still
do not intend to do this all the time and try to 'catch' people
at all as some denominations apparently do. But, in order to help
them fulfill their responsibilities, we are going to make
spot-checks in certain church areas from time to time."
It's amazing how religious leaders will feel that to be
shepherd of a flock means that they have to police them. And to
state that a surveillance of the members is to help them fulfill
their responsibility sounds like something right out of George
Orwell's 1984.
Even more like 1984 are the revelations about the Ambassador
College Manpower Committee. This committee was supposedly for the
purpose of determining the employment potential of Ambassador
College graduates within the Church or the college. The article
states, "Before any discussion of a student began, his picture
was projected unto the screen. Then, as the members of this
'spiritual jury' stared at the student's image, each one of them
divulged information - often given them confidentially in private
counseling sessions - gathered on the student. This information
often included a student's background, racial and genetic
heritage, sex and dating problems, attitudes and physique in
addition to biased personal assessments of a student's worth to
the organization."
Then followed excerpts from minutes of those meetings: "Like
most Negroes he is reserved, timid and not as warm and
spontaneous as he could be - Most of our Negro leaders are
partially white and don't have the normal dull mind of the
average Negro." "He is starry eyed, has a glassy stare when
speaking, is hard to listen to because of his poor eye contact -
this may be a result of excessive masturbation in the past." "He
does confess to mentally fornicating with our girls every day of
his life. Before he came into the Church, he used to masturbate
twice a day - he is a sexual pervert in his mind. He has had
demon problems." "The Manpower Committee saw no objections to a
marriage sometime in June." "Mr.Armstrong just recently made an
ironclad rule that any senior who wants to marry a freshman is
automatically out of college and if he doesn't take that in the
right attitude is out of the Church." "Now Y is over there and
she is getting romantically involved with a weak student named X.
His stock is weak. If we were cattle raisers we would not begin
to allow such mating to take place. Breeding is very important."
"Mr.Armstrong could see no reason why they should not get
married, his future is already mapped out for him." "She had a
breakdown in Mr.Buzzard's class the other day - she couldn't stop
crying. We don't want 'odd' people - people obviously demon
influenced. We should not hesitate to kick her out at the end of
this semester, unless there is a drastic change." "Mr.Ted
Armstrong said there are still security leaks in our Manpower
Committee that must be stopped. Word got back to X that we
discussed him in a recent Manpower meeting. But what he heard was
fifth or sixth hand, perverted, warped and only a small percent
correct."
It's difficult to imagine how a group of men who call themselves
ministers of Jesus Christ could engage in such an activity under
the guise of evaluating people for employment. What is evident
here is an attitude on the part of these Church leaders that they
must have total control over every aspect of an individual's
life. As all ministers in the Church were ordained only after
passing this socalled screening process, and most of them are
married to women who were cleared in the same way, it is easy to
understand the unbending loyalty that most ministers have to the
Church leaders.
(You think the above "screening" was the invention of AR
[Ambassador Report] ... well it was NOT, listen to this. As a
young guy in the WCG, I had a friend (a young guy also) who was
accepted to AC (Ambassador College) - two years later he returned
to the town where I was and called me on the phone and wanted to
speak to me in person. We met. This is the story he related: He
had fallen in love with a young lady in AC and she with him. Rod
Meredith and company pulled him into their office and told him
that he must have nothing to do with her as he was NOT
ministerial quality, but she was the quality to be a minister's
wife. He was shattered. What could I tell him, there was nothing
he could do; obviously she was not about to leave AC and both of
them go off and get married. I never saw my friend again - Keith
Hunt)
Chess Champion Bobby Fischer had quite a lot to say about
the Armstrongs. In an interview with the Ambassador Report
editor, Fischer said, "I was trying to buy God." From 1967
through 1974 he gave a total of $94,315 to the Worldwide Church
of God. In 1972, the year he won his championship by defeating
Soviet champion Boris Spassky, he donated $61,200 to the Church.
He said, "This idea of Herbert's that you can't trust your own
thoughts - that's the key doctrine that I think has to be blasted
out. I would say that if there's one thing that is the whole
essence of Armstrongism, that is it. That's how he screws up your
mind, that's how he hangs on to people." He said further
regarding Armstrong's prophetic failure, that the Church would be
taken to safety in 1972, "Like the Bible says, when a prophet
makes prophecies that don't come true, then that guy is not of
God and you don't have to be afraid of him. Yet Church members
are afraid of him (HWA), and he's failed umpteen times. This guy,
Armstrong, in terms of religion, is the world's biggest loser....
But I was really upset in 1972 when Herbert Armstrong refused to
apologize. He could have just apologized and said, 'I became
overly enthusiastic. I wanted Christ to return so badly.
Everything seemed to fit. Please excuse me. I won't do that
again.'"
Fischer had not become disillusioned with God, but as he
came to realize that his relationship with Christ was a spiritual
one and was not dependent on massive contributions to a
self-proclaimed apostle, he did become disillusioned with Herbert
Armstrong. He said, "Herbert Armstrong has a way with words. You
know, he seems so sincere. He has all the right principles:
dedication, hard work, perseverance, never giving up. He's
dogged: he's persistent. You know, from reading his stuff and
listening to his sermons, you'd think he was very interested in
God. But when you meet him personally, there is nothing there at
all. I find Armstrong to be an egomaniac. He sitteth in the
temple of God saying great things as if he were God. He
apparently wants to leave his permanent mark on all he comes in
contact with and can bring into submission. He is simply a madman
who would love to rule the world."
(Obviously with the fame Bobby Fisher had, as the world's "chess
champion," he had met HWA, and you've just heard what he said,
"...you'd think he was very interested in God, But when you meet him
personally, there is nothing there at all." --- That says it all.
If you ever meet me, and I do have a little fame of sorts from
this Website, I hope you'll never be able to say such words as
Fisher said about HWA - Keith Hunt)
Some of the most shocking disclosures regarding the handling
of finances were made in an article entitled "Fleecing The
Flock." In this article John Trechak opens with an account of his
own experience as a ministerial student visiting Herbert
Armstrong's home. The account reads:
"It was February 18, 1970. A small group of ministerial students
were spending an evening with Herbert W. Armstrong, the founder
of the Worldwide Church of God. Those of us who had been invited
were given a glimpse of a life-style which in today's world only
a very few are able to afford. At his home, a small mansion on
Pasadena's South Orange Grove Boulevard, (once nicknamed
"Millionaires Row"), we were surrounded by rare antiques,
expensive paintings, and Steuben crystal. The carpets were
luxuriant; a Steinway Grand stood in the corner of the drawing
room. The gourmet cuisine served at dinner was excellent as were
the European wines - all four of them. We had been shown a large
number of expensive paintings and objects of art and, as was his
custom, Herbert would relate what he paid for each and what they
were now worth. That theme carried over into the conversation at
dinner. Then, as the servants began to clear the table, he turned
to one of the guests and said, 'What do you think all these
beautiful things on the table are worth?' Of course, none of us
had even the slightest idea. And so, he was able to proudly
proclaim 'Over $125,000!'"
I've heard stories similar to this repeated many times by
others who had been to Herbert Armstrong's home. Much of the art
was of an erotic nature and Herbert Armstong was very proud of
this. Frequently, part of his performance for the senior guests
from the college would be a lengthy dissertation on sex. It has
been reported that Armstrong would give his apostolic advice to
the seniors regarding their conduct and performance on their
wedding night. Rather than go into details regarding what he did
say at those times, let it suffice that the reports were that the
guests were most embarrassed by Armstrong's conduct and
especially by his references to his own marital relations and his
first wife's various hangups and inhibitions.
Getting back to the article, "Fleecing The Flock" contained
extensive accounts taken from lettem written by - Church members,
complaining of the financial situation they found themselves in
as a result of the self-sacrifice to which they put themselves in
order to support Armstrong's regal living style.
The Armstrongs were not the only ones to live well off the
fat of the flock. Many of the evangelists who were employed at
Church headquarters in various capacities lived in Church-owned
homes, which seemed to be going through a constant state of
renovation and redecoration at a cost of tens of thousands of
dollars. To top it off, these expenses were being met by money
from a fund called the third tithe fund. The third tithe was an
additional tithe that Church members were expected to pay every
three years and was to consist of an additional 10 percent of
their income over and above their normal 10 percent contribution.
While the normal contribution, or first tithe, was to be used for
the general Church operation, the third tithe was supposedly for
the exclusive funding of benefits for widows, orphans, and other
needy members of the Church. While the needy members were
frequently taken care of by use of the third tithe fund, they
frequently could not receive sufficient help. Yet evangelists who
would be earning over $20,000 a year, driving a company car, and
living in a Church-owned home, would be receiving tens of
thousands of dollars worth of furniture and redecorating, while
the needy remained needy.
(I will say this to give all the truth. This is NOT what was
happening in Canada in the time I was with the WCG, from 1961 to
1972. Dean Wilson, who was over the work in Canada, and the local
ministers, did not abuse 3rd tithe. I remember our local minster
telling people giving 3rd tithe, to give it to someone in the
church who needed it, or some other needy person in town. By the
time Tuit was in the WCG then probably 3rd tithe had become very
misused - Keith Hunt)
Also revealed in the same article was Herbert Armstrong's
obsession for buying paintings. He has so many paintings that
many are in storage still with the price tags on them. (Of course
long been sold now - Keith Hunt). A conservative estimate of the
value of these paintings is over a half million dollars and in
fact would probably be considerably higher than that. According
to a recent statement by Garner Ted Armstrong about a year after
the publication of the Ambassador Report, "My father loves
paintings of horses by one particular artist. He must have just
about every painting the guy has ever made. Why, when he's in
London, part of his routine is to be driven up to Harrod's in his
Rolls Royce, and wouldn't you know they're all primed and ready
for him. The manager of that place just bows and scrapes before
my father and by the time it's all over they've emptied his
pockets again. The only thing is, it's Church money."
But then one must wonder what Ted is really complaining
about. Continuing in the same article in the Ambassador Report,
John Trechak recalls a time when he was working as an instructor
in Church camp at Orr, Minnesota during the summer of 1973. He
states, "I can vividly recall how each week, Garner Ted would
pass through from California. He was not at all involved in
teaching, counseling or the administration of the camp, nor did
he normally give sermons or a lecture to the campers. The purpose
of the trip was purely for pleasure. Each Thursday or Friday, Ted
and his guests would fly up from California in his jet; from Orr,
Minnesota they would fly a smaller plane north into Canada to
Ted's private fishing camp. On Monday they would come through
Oregon on their way back to California. Now who do you think paid
for all of this?" The jet referred to here by the way was the
Church-owned Falcon Jet, which Garner Ted is licensed to fly.
Going further along on the financial situation, mention was
made of Rader, Cornwall and Kessler, the certified public
accounting firm handling the auditing of the Church books.
Interestingly enough, Rader was both a principal in the firm and
an employee of the Church, which was a direct violation of the
code of professional ethics of the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants. Except for this mention, Rader did
not receive anywhere near the attention as did others in the
Ambassador Report. Yet future happenings would indicate that
Rader has had much more influence all along than anyone had ever
realized.
One of the biggest spenders in the Church was the mysterious
Japanese man, Osamu Gotoh. An article entitled "The Incredible
Story of Mr.Mission Impossible, Ambassador College's Illustrious
Professor Gotoh" detailed some of his activities. Gotoh, apparent
drawn to Ambassador College by its opulence and great show of
wealth, came on the scene in Pasadena in the mid-sixties. He
claimed to have been a Christian minister in Japan and had been
speaking on an obscure Japanese-language radio station on the
West Coast. After flunking out of Ambassador College in 1967,
Gotoh, incredibly, was named the head of the newly created
Japanese department. Apparently he had sold Herbert Armstrong on
his ability to arrange connections and introductions in Japan.
According to the article, Armstrong claims that Gotoh was the man
responsible for introducing him to Prince Mikasa, brother of the
Japanese emperor. All of these great results did not come without
cost, however. As stated in the article, "An A.C. Financial
Affairs official reported that Gotoh had a lavish expense account
which eventually exceeded $100,000." While Gotoh was being highly
praised by Herbert Armstrong as being the man God was using to
open doors for him in Japan, it appears as though Gotoh was also
actively engaged in less Christian pursuits such as smuggling.
Ambassador Report stated, "On June 6, 1975 Gotoh was apprehended
at the L.A. International Airport carrying a substantial
undeclared amount of jewelry. This information came from the
Department of the Treasury in San Pedro, California, which
commissioned an agent to compile a case against Gotoh. According
to an official spokesman of the government agency, Gotoh, if
tried by a jury and convicted of the crime, could have e received
up to five years in jail and a $50,000 fine."
Soon after this Gotoh was out of the United States and out
of the reach of Federal agents. He also then left his position on
the Ambassador College faculty. After the Federal pressure seemed
to subside, Gotoh was again actively engaged by the Church. Then,
early in 1977, he was again released for what are at that time
rather obscure reasons as far as official statements to the
membership were concerned.
Regarding Gotoh's problems with the Department of the
Treasury, Ambassador Report stated further. "He is now free to
enter and leave the U.S. as the Department of the Treasury is no
longer after him. Their spokesman, however, admitted that the
Department had been under 'pressure from above' to lay off Gotoh.
He would not elaborate any further."
When this article was published, no one except perhaps a few
insiders would have known that Gotoh's activities were indicative
of something more than just a private individual smuggling behind
the front of a Church. It has been reported that as a result of
the pressure to lay off of Gotoh, all of the records regarding
his case and activities have been sealed, and if Gotoh were the
only one involved in illegal activity, one must wonder why
Herbert Armstrong would state that they prefer to clear customs
at Salt Lake City, as they don't get any problems there.
It was to be sometime after the publication of this article,
before all of the pieces regarding Gotoh's activities, his
personal conduct, his revelation of the personal conduct of
others, and the alleged ability of officials of the Church to
call off a Federal investigation would all begin to fit together.
As if all of this were not enough, Ambassador Report also
contained three devastating articles regarding Garner Ted
Armstrong. All of these articles dealt with his alleged sexual
activities.
One article entitled "Southern Exposure" contained an
interview with Holly Ruiz, who for eighteen years had been
married to Enrique Ruiz, the director of the Mexico City office
of the Church. She was divorced from her husband in 1965. She
detailed various visits by both the Armstrongs as well as many
other top Church officials to both Mexico City and Acapulco. She
told how they ate in the best restaurants and had private dinners
in the finest hotels. In response to the question, "Did Herbert
ever behave immorally?" she answered, "Not like Ted, but he used
to talk about sex a lot. In fact he was often obsessed with sex.
He told me once that he knew more about sex than anyone else. A
few years ago, Herbert told me that he had a crush on a young
Philippine girl. He brought her over from the Philippines and set
her up in a really nice apartment. However, when he found out
that she had another boyfriend, he sent her back. He also had a
crush on one of his young secretaries. He wanted to marry her,
but Ted wouldn't allow it."
Holly Ruiz then told how, after continuing difficulties with
her marriage, she left her husband in 1975. At that point she
asked Garner Ted for financial help. She said, "He gave me over
$1,000 and I was surprised at how easily he gave it to me. He
seemed to love to give me money. I suppose it gave him a feeling
of power and wealth. Herbert also gave me $200 to fly back to
Mexico to collect my belongings." She went on further to say, "I
went to Ted after I broke up with my husband not only to get help
financially but also because I was concerned about the effect our
separation would have on the Church members in Mexico. Ted told
me not to worry about that and that he understood how I felt. He
explained that he too had had similar problems, but that his
father had forced him to remain married and that he didn't feel
it was fair. He told me that he had taken off with one of his
stewardesses to Colorado. Then he asked me if I'd ever committed
adultery at all, and I said no and that I didn't intend to. He
seemed rather taken aback by that statement. I suppose he was
leading into something, but I cut him off. This upset him and he
said that he just thought it would be possible that I had
(committed adultery). He said that he felt it would be typical
because of his own frustrations and miserable condition. Earlier
he told me he had to cancel a conference in order to see me, and
I said I was sorry to have bothered him. He made some comment
about having ministers around all the time, but that he didn't
always have me."
She said that Ted was making it very clear to her that he
was available to her. She then went on to state that her husband
had received a $19,000 severance when he left the employ of the
Church, and that she felt that it was because of the way Garner
Ted behaved around her or perhaps because of the so-called
contacts that Enrique said he had been making for the Church.
In response to the question, "What type of contacts was he
referring to?" She said, "Well, Enrique was spending a lot of
time finding out where to contact showgirls and striptease
artists. One time he was trying to contact La Tigresa, a very
rich and famous striptease artist in Mexico. I asked him why, and
he said she could be another important contact for 'the Work.'
After I left my husband, I told Ted about this, but he didn't
seem at all surprised. I also told him that Enrique was spending
up to three days a week at the horse races and Ted just laughed."
While I didn't believe this when I read it, I was to later
find out that Ted had on occasion taken Ambassador College
students to the horse races and that gambling was a favorite
pastime of his. He would on occasion play roulette, playing his
date of birth, but his favorite game is blackjack. His
explanation for this would be, "I don't think it's anybody's
business, just because I like to play blackjack once in a while.
Anyway when I play it is always with my own money."
Perhaps it is no one's business; however, when a man claims
to be a minister of Jesus Christ, he is obligated to set the
highest standards of conduct and not engage in activities of such
questionable nature as gambling. Yet gambling is a minor blemish
on his character when compared to the other allegations made by
Ambassador Report. The cover article, "In Bed With Garner Ted,"
was an interview with an anonymous woman who had had an affair
with Garner Ted. She had been a graduate of Ambassador College
and after graduation worked in the offices. The article then
detailed how Garner Ted had approached her sexually in his
office, resulting in their having an affair.
Incredibly, when I read the article, not only did I refuse
to believe it, but I also refused to believe that Garner Ted had
made the statement quoted in the opening of the article. He
stated before a group of ministers at a ministerial meeting in
Big Sandy, Texas, "A man in the ministry committed adultery - I
talked to him in great sympathy - and he was totally repentant -
I know of about five or six or eight or ten who have committed
adultery and who upon repentance have been allowed back. You want
some leveling done here today? I am not the first case!"
In another article entitled, "Son of the Legend," Ambassador
Report went into considerable detail regarding Garner Ted's 1972
exile, claiming that the real reason was definitely a matter of
adultery. Referring to the summer of 1971, the article stated "By
this time, word of Ted's sexual improprieties had begun to filter
through the ministry. For at least a year Ted had been having an
affair with his stewardess. Of course, this was not his first
affair--Ted had had numerous adulterous relationships with many
other womnen,--but this relationship was different. Herbert could
not dismiss it as another one of Ted's passing flirtations. Ted
was ready to leave his wife."
Then followed another quotation from a tape of Garner Ted
speaking before the ministers at Big Sandy in March 1974: "I had
already in my own mind convinced myself I wasn't even bound to my
wife - I was in my mind divorcing her. I left with a trailer full
of clothing and a stupid little girl."
The article went on further to state that from Garner Ted's
return later in 1972 through 1973, many of the ministers began to
be aware of the real reasons for his exile. This along with the
various doctrinal problems led to the event known as the 1974
Rebellion.
A report on a meeting in Richmond, Virginia in February
1974, quotes Albert Portune and David Antion, brother-in-law of
Garner Ted, speaking before a group of Eastern ministers as
follows: "I don't know how many times, I just don't know: But
whether its 25 or 225, don't know. Somewhere between those two
points." This was in reference to the number of illicit relations
that Garner Ted had had. A minister than asked, "Didn't he (GTA)
state, himself, to the evangelists that it (Ted's sexual
misconduct) was 200 times?" Replied Antion, "I don't remember
that - I personally don't remember the number. He (Ted) just said
there have been dozens of times or, you know, many times, or some
big figure. I know it impressed us all that he could remember
dates, and places and situations and so on. I would say here that
a lot of it was not outright adultery - a lot of it was
flirtation, a lot of it was necking, making a pass and so forth.
He needs to feel attractive. He likes to know that he's handsome.
He likes to know the girls will go for him and all that. And I
think there's a psychological need, personally, when I analyze
it, rather than just a great need for just sex, you know."
And on and on it went. Open admission that Garner Ted had
been an adulterer many times and yet was now again the leading
minister in the Worldwide Church of God under his father Herbert
W. Armstrong, the self-appointed apostle. And again, like so many
others, I believed that what I was reading was mere fabrication.
Or I thought if it was true, it must be exaggeration and
certainly Garner Ted must have truly repented, or his father
would not have accepted him back. I just could not at that time
see that I was beginning to take the importance of a religious
message that I had received, and then transfer that importance
with even greater emphasis to the bringer of the message. It was
very difficult to accept criticism of someone when you have
proven the validity of the message that that person has brought.
And, of course, that is where the real danger lies. Once you
begin to blind yourself to the fact that a minister, while having
preached the truth, does not conduct himself in accordance with
that truth, you then become vulnerable to being led astray as
that person himself goes further astray.
(In our local church we had been taught for years that a deacon
or Elder committing adultery, could repent, be a church member,
but never again, or over many many years, be put back into a
leadership role. The adulteries of GTA were kept from us in those
years of 1971/72 but being disfellowshipped twice and then
allowed back to carry on doing the work of a minister, radio
broadcaster, TV evangelist, second in charge under HWA .... well
I then knew something was drastically wrong with "the apostle and
true church of God" [tongue in cheek once again] - Keith Hunt)
The fourth and final article regarding Garner Ted was
written by Al Carrozzo, a former minister and regional director
of the Western portion of the United States. His article was
entitled "The Profligate Son." Carrozzo starts his article,
"'Al, lets get one thing straight. I'm a no good fornicating,
adulterating, son of a bitch'. These highly emotional words
initiated a private conversation between Garner Ted Armstrong and
me at 10:15 A.M. on Wednesday, May 16, 1973 in the seclusion of
his television studio office." Carrozzo then recounted some of
the same events covered in other articles regarding Garner Ted's
adulterous activities and his 1972 exile. Regarding Garner Ted's
repentance, Carrozzo states, "Has Garner Ted changed? Did he
really repent? One thing is sure, Ted repented many, many times.
He has been called the 'professional repenter.' He can cry on
cue". In conclusion Carrozzo stated, "When I resigned from the
Worldwide Church of God ministry in 1973 it was my sincere desire
and still is that Garner Ted Armstrong would repent. When
questioned by the press then, I even refused to divulge the full
extent of Ted's immorality in hopes that he would repent. I now
know, however, that unless these things are exposed, thousands
will continue to put their trust, not in God but in Herbert
Armstrong and his profligate son."
Again, as incredible as this may seem, I tried to block what
I had read out of my mind. I, along with so many others,
considered this to be one of Satan's attacks on the Church. Yet,
as I thought about it more, I did have to face the fact that
there must be considerable truth in what was printed in the
Ambassador Report. I started to feel that there was some truth to
the report of financial improprieties, but the stories regarding
Garner Ted Armstrong to me smacked of yellow journalism and were
things that I really did not want to believe.
The Church propaganda machine began to crank out constant
attacks on the publishers of Ambassador Report, characterizing
them as dissident malcontents who were out to destroy God's
Church. We were told that the Church legal department was going
to take swift action against these people and sue them for all of
the false claims and charges that they had made. After a while
the furor began to die down and all seemed to be forgotten.
Strangely enough, or perhaps not so strangely, the publishers of
Ambassador Report were never sued. While the Ambassador Report
did not have the effects that its publishers had hoped for, they
did drive one more wedge into the ever-widening crack in the
false facade of the Worldwide Church of God.
Regarding their blockbusting charges against the Church and
its officials, Bob Gerringer was to tell me about two years after
the massive 1977 issue was published, "Of course they never sued
us. They knew that if they did, we would get into document
discovery proceedings and everything would come out. They were
just telling the Church people they were going to sue, but all
the while they knew they wouldn't dare. We didn't publish one
thing that we couldn't back up with piles of proof. Even all that
stuff about Ted was true. As a matter of fact, that was the
easiest of all to prove. And we have the documentation and the
proof and have spoken to some of the individuals who have direct
knowledge. We do not regret having exposed these things, but we
do regret having had to do it."
As the furor on the Ambassador Report began to die down, it
wasn't long before I too was able to push it to the back of my
mind. I think I just wanted to believe that it had never been
printed. As time went on, I, as did so many others, began to
convince myself that this whole thing was another of Satan's
attacks on the Church. After all, I thought, if those things were
true, something would have come of it. So Paula and I continued
attending our weekly Sabbath services, happily engaged in our
various Church duties with Paula occasionally teaching Sabbath
school and me busily involved several times a week stuffing
thousands of Plain Truth magazines into newsstand racks. I even
became convinced that Quest magazine would be straightened out in
its editorial content, so that it would be in accordance with the
principles of the Church. And there were encouraging signs in
that direction.
The Ambassador Report is now published as a newsletter three
or four times a year. The address is Box 4068, Pasadena,
California 91106.
(Now of course that is old as of 1981 when Tuit wrote this book.
But AR, all its editions can be found on the Internet. And in a
few of the late 1980s editions, you'll find my name there, in
good light per se I will add - Keith Hunt)
..........................
To be continued with "Renewed Enthusiasm and a New Crisis"
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